User of the Lost Art
by Myrddin 'Le Fay' Ignis Magus
Summary: During his 3 year training trip Naruto ditches Jiraiya because he is more interested in 'research' than teaching him. He might have not have left if he didn't find a special book, a book on a lost art. So he ditches the perv to learn from this book. Two years later, Tsunade sends out a search party for him where they find him ending a battle with a dragon!


_**User of the Lost Art**_

_**Chapter I**_

_**The Missing Fox**_

"WHAT!" screamed the young looking, and beautiful blonde Godaime Hokage enraged, a tick of anger prominent on her forehead as her fist smashed through her desk, breaking it in half with a deafening crash.

The white haired old man in front of her desk flinched and lost all the colour from his face as he shook his hands in front of himself hoping to protect himself if she attacked. Though, he knew, he knew if she hit him, he is still going through a wall. He may know as well as her that if it came down to a real fight that she could NOT beat him, but this is woman rage, and woman rage seems to top all ultimate attacks.

It is just the way the universe they live in works, and her woman rage is beyond anything he has experienced in a long time. The last time her brown eyes looked at him like that he couldn't walk straight for a whole month. Its made him learn to be more careful about peaking on her, and most times to just make sure she's not at the bath house while he's peaking.

"C-calm down Tsunade-hime," he spoke quietly trying to appease her anger, which he knew was not going to work, but it was worth a try right…? right? OK, so she is not known for being reasonable, but if you don't try you'll surely get pummeled.

"CALM DOWN, CALM DOWN!" she screeched, her brown eyes blazing with indignation and vicious fury causing him to take a step back as he felt her intent to kill him try to drown him to death. "JIRAIYA! YOU FOOLISH OLD PERVERT! YOU LOST HIM TWO FUCKING YEARS AGO! AND NOT ONLY HAVE YOU NOT FOUND HIM, BUT YOU NEGLECTED TO TELL ME! I COULD HAVE SENT OUT A TEAM OR TWO TO FIND THE BAKA BRAT AND HAVE OTHERS ON THE LOOK OUT! HOW DARE YOU TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!?"

Jiraiya gulped and took another step back towards the door in the hope of escaping if she sees fit to kick his ass. It was not as if he did not look his hardest for his blonde haired student, it was just the boy did not stay in one place long enough for him to track him down. He sighed sadly and hung his head in shame… damn that kid… who would have thought he would be so slippery, not that the brat was trying to keep away from him that he knows of, but hell the kid was hard to keep up with.

Tsunade continued glaring at her old teammate as she took a few deep steadying breathes. "Now Jiraiya! Tell me what exactly happened to get you separated in the first place!?" she demanded in a much calmer voice than she had before, her glare never leaving the old perverts face.

He groaned and began the story…

**Flashback**

"_Hey ero-sannin, teach me a new super cool jutsu! I'm bored!" whined a loud blonde boy wearing black and orange. Jiraiya had tried to dissuade the boy from wearing orange but explaining that such colours are not smart for a ninja to the boy was like trying to explain the meaning of life… impossible. Though, he sometimes got the impression that Naruto was being dense and stubborn on purpose, but shook those thoughts off as the kids too stupid for that. _

_However, at least the self-proclaimed super pervert had managed to get the boy to wear a darker shade of orange, and black too. Naruto looked pretty good, and Jiraiya was quite annoyed at the blonde because he could get the attention of cute girls everywhere they went (except Konoha) without even trying. _

_The blonde fifteen year old looked up slightly at him with sparkling sapphire blue eyes full of hope while he grinned full-fledged. Trying to use his new found big-eyes adorable puppy-dog-look jutsu. Even the mighty Toad Sage was tempted to give in to the kid's ingenious use of henge. It's even better than Iruka's big-evil-head jutsu that he uses to get the academy students to shut up._

_There's one major thing that Jiraiya has learnt while travelling with Naruto, and that's the kid is an evil mastermind. While others can persuade someone to do something through fear like the evil-big-head jutsu, Naruto went the other way and made a too adorable to resist jutsu._

_However, resisting it is easier for a red blooded straight man, which is why he was quick with what he said next because he could not seem to resist Naruto's next level and shuddered in disgust with himself, and he has other things to do rather than training the brat. Plus, the brat just shows him up by learning way too fast, and he just knows the kid knows how to use the Shadow Clones for training._

"_Nope, I have some important research to be getting on with while we're here," replied Jiraiya with a nervous grin trying to speak as fast as possible. "Why don't you go get us a hotel room while we're here?"_

_Naruto groaned in annoyance, but he had a sparkle in his eyes. "Aww, come on don't be such a pervo!" he whined loudly. "I'll warn all the girls in town of you if you don't teach me some cool new jutsu, ero-sannin!" he added smugly as he went and made a hand seal._

"_You do that and I won't teach you anything!" the white haired old pervert retorted just as smugly, but sweating nervously as he watched his student's hands. The boy has so many tricks that the teacher was nervous. "And stop calling me that… I am one of the legendary sennin, so show some proper respect. Now I have research to do, go get a room at the inn and I'll see you later, Naruto."_

_He growled in frustration. "No, why should I you perv… if you're not going to teach me anything I might as well just leave you here and find a teacher who actually teaches. It's a wonder the Yondaime Hokage became so powerful with you as his sensei!" he yelled heatedly before running off around a corner and out of sight into a busy street._

_Jiraiya sighed while rolling his eyes, the kid was so melodramatic sometimes, but at least he didn't use any of 'those' jutsu. That was the third time this week Naruto had ran off claiming to find a new sensei, but he was not too bothered. The boy would cool off and find a hotel room and Jiraiya would find him later. With a perverted grin, the old hermit made his way through the morning crowd and towards the nearest hot springs with a spring in his step._

_Unbeknownst to the old pervert, Naruto had crawled into a small alleyway where he would find an odd book with weird symbols on it. This book was the reason Naruto chose to leave for real. He would have just sulked a little and used a special jutsu to force the old perv to teach him later if he hadn't found it, but just reading it he knew this is his path and he can't let anyone get in his way or try stopping him from following his own path._

_Naruto wasn't normally in to reading books, but this book stole his great imagination and promised him an even greater power than he had ever imagined. His destiny changed the day he found this book. His fate was reformed the moment he left Jiraiya and went off on his own. And the future of the Elemental Nations changed the moment he began to practice The Lost Art. _

**End flashback**

"How was I to know he wasn't bluffing that time?" asked the old man staring worriedly at his old teammate, worried for his safety and Naruto's. "He had pulled that bluff so many times I thought nothing of it."

The woman scowled angrily. "Well you were supposed to be teaching him, not spying on naked women you bastard," she retorted heatedly. "Now where was the last place you tracked him to so I can send out a tracker team to do what you were too thick to accomplish, and find him?"

Jiraiya gulped but was thankful he did not seem to be getting a beating, well that could change so he'll be super helpful and hope for the best. "Well, the last I heard he is in Fire Country… he was in Holei Town about two weeks ago."

Tsunade sighed while rubbing her tired eyes before sitting down in her comfortable chair, her mind running wild. "And what of the Akatsuki, do they know Naruto is unprotected?"

"No. I don't believe they do since they were following me," he answered seriously. "I spotted Itachi and Kisame a few times, but I kept under their radar as much as I could and tried to make it seem as if Naruto was still with me."

"OK," she replied with narrowed eyes. "SHIZUNE!" she yelled loudly.

The office door swung open and in walked a nervous pretty young woman with short brown hair with a nervous but worried smile on her face. She had heard all of the screaming and yelling from Tsunade and discovered why the woman was so angry with Jiraiya and was now worried about the blonde bundle of energy that is Naruto Uzumaki.

"Yes Tsunade-sama?" she asked as she looked at the Hokage trying not to cringe at how angry she looks.

"What tracker teams do we have available?" she demanded straight to the point.

Shizune looked thoughtful but in all honesty, she already had the answer. She just did not what to seem nosy even though she's certain they know she already knows. "Unfortunately Tsunade-sama we only have one tracker team in the village and that would be team eight, but we have a few other ninja that we could send with them if that would help at all?"

Tsunade nodded slowly. "OK, who else do we have spare, who's capable to travel with them?" she demanded gritting her teeth as the blue fire in her eyes glared at Jiraiya.

"Well we have, Kakashi," she said with a tight smile. "He's technically a tracker," she finished off. "Then we have from his team, Sakura since they might need a medic with Naruto's record," she began thoughtfully. "And maybe Iruka since term has ended and you know how he feels about Naruto, they're like brothers…"

"Is that all?" asked the Hokage.

Shizune nodded sadly. "All that can be trusted to find him and bring him back safely. I would hate to think what would happen if we sent the wrong people and they tried to kill him. He might not return after that."

Tsunade nodded with a sad sigh. "Very well, Shizune," she said before looking at Jiraiya. "Asshole… you two go and gather them three, and Kiba, Shino, Hinata, and Kurenai and bring them to me for this mission, but don't brief them just tell them I have a mission. And Jiraiya you'll be leading one team. I'll send you with Kakashi, Sakura, and Shino, both Kakashi and Shino both have tracking skills. Kurenai will lead Hinata, Kiba and Iruka as a second team, understood?"

Jiraiya nodded as he and Shizune left the office in search of the two hunter teams. He had royally screwed up, but… he honestly cares about Naruto but Naruto just learns too fast for his liking so he took too much free time up. Jiraiya just wanted some alone time, but thinking about it he really didn't plan on teaching Naruto much in the way of jutsu.

Shizune was not sure where the two should start looking, but figured Sakura might be at the hospital. "Jiraiya-sama," she began getting the concerned man's attention. "Sakura maybe at the hospital so we should go there first…" she suggested reasonably.

He nodded his head as they moved in that direction. "Yeah… I really am sorry I lost him. I've never misplaced a student before," he replied with a nervous chuckle before sighing. "It sometimes felt like he was actively trying to hide from me."

Shizune looked at him with a small glare before sighing herself. "It'll be OK. I'm sure you'll find him soon. You know Naruto. He can get into a lot of trouble but he always manages to escape. He has a weird way of getting people to like him; even if they don't want to admit it… he has a strange affect on people. He's probably made plenty of new friends, and learnt a lot about the world, and I'm sure he's had help."

Jiraiya smiled at the confidence she has in Naruto sadly. "I… I should have been here for him. I should have taken him with me all those years ago… but I was scared… a kid, me… could you really see me bringing up a kid?"

Shizune chuckled lightly with an understanding look. "Maybe you should tell him how you feel… how you felt when you find him. It's never too late to apologize and make up for what you did wrong… or didn't do right," she answered him understanding what its like to have regrets, all ninja do, even Naruto must have.

Jiraiya smiled lightly. "I guess you're right… m-maybe, I should tell him… err, never mind," he sighed as they walked into the hospital. It did not take long to find the pink haired kunoichi exiting a patents room.

"Sakura," called Shizune as they came to a stop by her.

Sakura smiled as she looked at them. "Shizune, Jiraiya-sama… but where's Naruto?" she asked interestedly looking around as if he'll pop out of nowhere any minute now. She might not openly admit it but she's missed him a lot more than she ever thought she would, or could. "I would have thought he would have come to see me already?" the seventeen-year-old girl asked hopefully.

"I um…" began Jiraiya nervously. "Tsunade-sama has a mission for you, if you could wait for us outside her office we have more ninja to find," he answered instead of telling her he lost the boy.

Sakura nodded. "Well OK," she said with a shrug. "Oh, I guess Naruto will be there with Tsunade-sensei waiting for me," she said with her green eyes brightening before she charged off, which made Jiraiya feel worse.

Shizune couldn't help her sad sigh and patting the depressed man on the shoulder trying to comfort him. He may have lost Naruto, but it's probably because Naruto kept moving around faster than the Toad Sage.

It had not taken them long to find the rest of the two teams, and after dragging Kakashi with them or have to wait an hour for him they were briefed on the situation by Tsunade and with a few bits here and there from Jiraiya.

The old perv found a lot of glares aimed his way. It was a little disconcerting as even the shy Hyuuga girl was glaring. Though, hers was more 'if you say one thing wrong I am so going to kill you for losing 'my' Naruto-kun'. Yes, the blonde boy is a total jerk for having such cute girls liking him.

"YOU LOST HIM!" roared Sakura suddenly. "HOW THE FUCK DO YOU JUST LOOSE NARUTO…!? HE'S SO GOD DAMN LOUD!" she ironically screamed at him. Her furious glare made Jiraiya wince back in fear. He knows she can hit almost as hard as her teacher, Tsunade could.

Though, of course he could beat Sakura in a ninja battle he could see woman-rage jutsu bubbling just under the surface. He gulped and took a nervous step backwards and tried to remain calm and not loose bladder control. Kakashi and the other 'boy's' also took steps back. They could see the signs of potential violence against 'man'.

"Um…" he chuckled nervously scratching his white haired head. "Well technically he ditched me," he tried defending himself in a small voice.

"DITCHED YOU!" she screamed in his face clenching her fists as the others took another step away from her, his time including the other females. "ITS NO WONDER HE DITCHED YOU, YOU PERVERTED OLD BAKA! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE HIS SENSEI, NOT SPYING ON WOMEN WHILE THEY TAKE A BATH! AND NOW YOU'VE LOST MY SECOND TEAMMATE BECAUSE OF IT!"

"Calm down now Sakura," interrupted Kakashi nervously coming to his idles defense. He does want to read the next edition of his favorite book series. "I'm sure we'll find Naruto soon… with two teams looking for him, it can't too difficult, and we know that he is unharmed."

She glared at him with a groan as she took some calming breaths. "Whatever Kakashi…! It wasn't like you're any better… augh, I'm surrounded by idiot sensei's who either loose their students or don't teach them hardly anything useful, or just both!"

"Hey!" interrupted Kurenai and Tsunade together, offended at her accusation.

"I wasn't talking about you two," said Sakura sheepishly. "I was talking about these two perverts."

"Yes well," interrupted Tsunade trying not to look too please that at least one of her students is awesome like her. "You'll be leaving in one hour, so get your supplies together and meet at the west gate. You'll all be heading for Holei Town to search for clues before splitting up. Team Alpha shall be Jiraiya's team of Kakashi, Shino, and Sakura, and team Beta shall be Kurenai's team of Hinata, Kiba, and Iruka. I'll be expecting weekly reports sent in code… dismissed!"

The two teams bowed before exiting, but not before she heard something to make her smile. "If something bad has happened to him," growled Iruka as they exited. "I don't care whether you are a sennin; I'll kick your ass!"

"Me too," added Sakura glaring at the white haired perv.

Hinata just scowled at him, which suggested the pounding would involve her too. Yep, he's screwed. Hinata will disable him while Sakura pounds him and the others take pictures. He just hopes they find Naruto first. He might be able to stop them. Though, he wondered whether Naruto would want to stop them. He did run off for a valid reason, and Jiraiya hopes the brat has at least grown stronger.

Tsunade sighed as she sat back on her chair as the door closed behind them. She hoped Naruto is OK wherever he is, and hoped he has not gotten himself into any trouble. She knows the brat can take care of himself but that did not mean she was not going to worry.

He was after all the only reason she even came back to Konoha, and the reason she became Hokage. Without Naruto here, she felt as if there was no reason to stay in the village herself, so prayed he was not going nuke-nin or she would just leave too. After making sure she resigns herself and Naruto first of course. She did not want hunter-nin hunting either of them.

Then they and whoever else decided to join could have more freedom as wandering ninja. She had always wanted to do something new, but Konoha is so boring, old, and full of corrupt power hungry jackasses. She would have to leave the seat of Hokage in the hands of an incompetent yet arrogant idiot just for laughs at the corrupt moron's expense.

_**To Be Continued…**_


End file.
